The Fullmetal Falls
by sherlocked-with-no-key
Summary: The Reichenbach Fall, with a bit of a casting change. Edward Elric is trapped with no way to save his life, without hurting Winry. Equivalent exchange is put to the test, as Edward trades his own life for the saftey of the one he loves. Complete. One Shot. Based on a weird idea I got at 2am.


The Fullmetal Falls

One Last Time

"Oh if it isn't the Fullmetal Pipsqueak come to play." A voice from the roof made his anger rise as the door closed behind him. The cloudy sky gave the homunculus, Envy, and even darker aura than in normal daylight. He sat on the edge of the Central's hospital building roof, his legs folded under him and katana over his shoulders. His long spiky hair looked like palm frons blowing in the cold fall wind.

"How many times am I going to have to tell you don't call me pipsqueak?" Edward Elric growled and brought his hands together. Being able to bring his alchemy to the stage was one of his favorite tricks. Placing his gloved hands on the cold cement under him, he created a giant stone fist from the previously smooth floor, bringing it smashing towards the homunculus. Blue sparks crackled in the air around him as he did so, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The homunculus dashed out of the way as quickly as if dodging a ball.

Edward stood to repeat the step, but had no time. Envy came streaking towards him, and he crouched to escape the slashing katana. He threw out his leg and swept it behind him, hoping to knock Envy to the floor. The monster jumped just in time, and brought his sword down an inch from Edward's face. He rolled out of the way and sprang up, already in his fighting stance Izumi had taught him since day one.

"Oh the pipsqueak has some fire in him today doesn't he?" Envy taunted. He lashed out with the sword again, catching Ed's left shoulder before he turned out of the way. The bite of the blade only fueled his anger. Edward jumped and spun, kicking the sword from Envy's hand. He growled and sprang at the alchemist, more cat-like than human. He tackled Ed to the floor, but Fullmetal had the weight of automail on his side. He rolled out from under Envy and quickly got the upper ground.

A twisted smile cut across Envy's face before Edward could even land a blow. A roar broke through the sounds of fighting as Gluttony's massive form blocked out the sun. He tackled Edward, throwing him onto his back. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs, and Gluttony's rancid smell made his vision hazy at the edges. He tried to push himself up, but weight hit his stomach hard, taking the breath he had barely begun to get back.

"Stay down, bean-sprout." Envy's voice came. Edward opened his eyes, vision blurred from pain. The homunculi's foot was planted firmly on his chest, putting an end to any movement he tried. The monster had considerable weight for his small size, and it was currently crushing the air from his body. Gluttony had Edward's automail arm between his teeth.

"I have a little problem I'd like to bring up with you." Envy said, tapping the floor with his now sheated katana.

"I'm not… doing… anything for… you…" he panted.

"Well if you're going to be difficult…" he nodded to Gluttony, who made a sound of delight before closing his teeth, ripping the metal arm from its socket. Edward's scream, and the sounds of grinding metal were the only noise to be heard. "Now, about that little problem." Envy's foot moved from his chest to his neck, and no air reached his injured lungs.

"Envy, don't kill the boy. Wouldn't want him dead before we need him to be, now would we?" A silky voice came from the shadows. Lust.

_Great, three of them? _Edward thought, still clawing at Envy's foot on his neck with his remaining arm. Pieces of scrap metal littered the roof, wires and pistons dotted among the remains of his arm and torn pieces of his coat as well. _Winry's going to kill me if I get out of this alive._

"Hello, Fullmetal. Long time, no see." Lust appeared from the shadows then, in her same form fitting dress and curled ebony hair. _She isn't nearly as beautiful as Winry_, he thought.

"We have a little ultimatum for you, Fullmetal." Lust called, "But it's your choice to obey it or not."

"I'm not helping…any of you." He kicked out, intending to stand and push Envy off him. But a weight hit his legs, sending them to the floor with a snap. He would have screamed if he had the breath.

Lifting his head slightly, he saw Gluttony was sitting on his legs. Currently sucking his fingers absentmindedly. "That was so yummy!" he cried.

He grimaced at his capture, and the pain in his shoulder, "What do you want?"

Envy was the one who answered, "Your death." He grinned maniacally.

"Too bad, I've heard I'm a pretty tough target to kill." This earned him the weight on his windpipe to increase. His hand clawed at Envy's form above.

"Envy." Lust said, arms crossed in disappointment, "You've done enough. He's no longer a threat without his precious alchemy."

Envy growled at Lust, but eventually remove his foot from the boys' throat, placing it back on his chest to keep him down. Edward gasped, air filling his deprived lungs.

"What do you want? Just tell me what the hell you monsters want." he panted after he could finally speak. He glared at Envy who didn't seem to notice, or care.

"Well let's see pipsqueak," Envy teased, "All we really want is for the Fullmetal brat to stop poking his little nose in where it doesn't belong. We've already asked nicely, and that didn't seem to work. You could say that your pal Hughes died because of the very reason. Pathetic human beings are curious things. I thought you all would have learned by now that curiosity does in fact kill. In this case, it was the Brigadier General. But obviously that wasn't enough for you to get the message."

Edward strained against the homunculi on top of him, shouting curses at Envy for even mentioning their fallen friend. He tried to sit up countless times, only to be thrown back to the ground. The constant impact racked his spine. The loss of his arm only added to his annoyance, and the cut Envy had given him was starting to seep into his red coat.

"Get…DOWN!" Envy screamed, shoving his heel into the boys' nose. He felt the red liquid bloom instantly. This time, Edward stayed where he was. The warm blood leaked down onto his lip, and he tasted the metallic tang. He gritted his teeth and squinted back up at his attackers. He was in even worse shape now.

"You didn't let me finish," Envy growled, eyes blazing, "Where was I… Ah yes, your buddy Hughes death didn't seem to get through to you. That was a warning shot. But now, we're playing for real. So my friends and I had to think for a while. What could we arrange to happen that was so heartbreakingly awful for Fullmetal that he just seemed to not want to fight anymore?" Edward breathed heavily, glaring at Envy all the while as he continued his rant, "And then we thought… Who is it the pipsqueak loves more than anyone? There was the choice of your little brother, of course," Ed again tried to get up, only to be shoved back down. He growled in frustration, "We thought, maybe his beloved teacher," Ed writhed on the floor, desperately trying to free himself to no effect, "But then…" Envy leaned closer, his previously playful voice now serious. Edward's heart stopped, "we thought about a certain someone who'd been there every time the little pipsqueak got himself into trouble. The girl who always fixed his broken limbs, and his broken heart. Yes, we thought, she would be the perfect victim."

"YOU TOUCH HER AND I SWEAR I'LL-"

"You'll what?" Lust said rather bored, "You'd be so overcome with grief that you wouldn't barely be able to live. We all know your feelings for the girl, Fullmetal. It's too obvious." She smiled, "That is why homunculi are better. We don't get attached as easily as you humans do. And then you display this affection so openly for the world to see that it's too easy for someone to use them to get to you."

Edward was silent, his eyes wide. They could have done anything to her; tortured her, killed her. A hundred images swept through his mind, none even close to what they had in store.

"Hey don't get mad at us, Equivalent Exchange right?" Envy laughed, "You're life in exchange for hers. So what do you say short stuff?"

Edward was silent for a while, staring up at Envy and Lust, Gluttony still seated firmly on his legs. "You have a deal." He whispered, eyes down. If this meant he could save Winry, he'd do it without hesitation.

Envy whooped, "Works for me!" A flash of light appeared as Envy turned his arm into a pointed shard of rock and raised it above Edward's head.

"WAIT!" Edward yelled. Envy hesitated, "Please, just let me say goodbye." He whimpered.

The homunculi exchanged looks. Envy seemed to be firmly set on a no, as he shook his head, but Lust pitied him, "Fine," she said, looking to the phone near the door Edward had entered the roof from. "Then you'll have to jump."

Ed didn't know what she meant by that, until his eyes scanned over to the phone. The cord dangled like a noose that Ed felt had just been laced around his neck. The phone and the door were near the very edge of the roof, where the stone only rose about six inches to substitute as a railing. Now that it was silent, he heard the bustle of city life below, where he knew Winry was, waiting for him to leave the hospital after visiting Havoc. She had no idea what had gone down after he walked though the double doors. The truth hit him a moment later. Lust meant that, if he truly wished to say his last words to Winry, he'd have to do it in front of her.

"On one condition," Lust's voice reeled him back to the present, "You can say goodbye to your beloved, if you tell her you are one of us."

Edward's lip curled in disgust. To be one of the homunculi, to lie about it to Winry, to make her think that and watch him fling himself off a building before her eyes. He couldn't.

"No." he breathed, eyes wide in fear of what that would do to Winry, to everyone he loved. It was all becoming clear now. If he died, the ones he loved remained broken. But if he lived, the ones he loved would be taken, and _he_ would be the broken one.

"Yes," Envy cackled, joining Lust's game, "You tell her you've been working for us all along, tell her you were behind all the attacked, you were the one who laid the traps- oh!" he chortled with joy, eyes wide, "And you tell her one more thing…" he leaned so close that Ed could see the speckles of red in the homunculi's lavender eyes, "You tell her that you were the one that killed Brigadier General Hughes."

"NO!" he screamed, "I won't! I won't put her through that!"

"Oh yes you will pipsqueak," Envy lifted him by the collar so the two were face to face. The savagery in the homunculi's face made Edward flinch away, "You'll tell her everything you know will make her hate you. You killed him. You watched the life drain from his body. You were the one on the inside that let us know every secret the military kept." He grinned, "And if you don't, we will kill her. And you really will watch the life drain away from someone. In fact, Wrath and Pride are in that building right there as we speak," he pointed with his sword to the building across the street from the hospital, where Edward could vaguely see two pairs of crimson eyes watching their every move, "They are prepared to put a bullet through her skull, or worse, if you don't do exactly as we agree."

He let go of Ed's shirt, letting him fall to the cement beneath with a thud, "Then I die in disgrace." He whispered.

"Of course idiot, that's the point of all this. We want the name of Fullmetal to no longer be one of hope and bravery, but of selfishness and cowardice." Envy still stood over Edward, daring him to move and be thrown back.

"You know now what's at stake Edward." Lust said. He turned quickly to see her face. It was the first time he'd ever heard her call him by his real name instead of 'Fullmetal' or 'boy'. Could it be a sign of respect for the sacrifice she knew he was about to commit? He'd never know. Her features gave nothing away except the unimpressed mask she always wore. "I hope you make the right choice."

Envy slowly took his foot off the boy's chest and straightened. Gluttony stood as well, finally letting the blood flow to his numb legs. They all seemed tense as to what he'd do next, but Edward only lay there, staring at the dark sky. He knew he had multiple cuts and bruises from his beating, and he found no point in getting up and gaining more. Envy seemed disappointed in his refusal to fight more, but said nothing. They left without a word, leaving the Fullmetal Alchemist alone on the rooftop. He knew they would have joined Wrath and Pride by now, adding to the audience that would soon watch his demise first hand.

He didn't know how long he laid on the rooftop, letting his both internal and external injuries settle. All he could think of was Winry. The emotional injuries Envy and the others inflicted were a thousand times worse than any scar he gained during the fight. If he didn't die she would most certainly. But if she died, he would willingly follow her to the grave. And what kind of pain would she feel watching this play out, and hearing everything he'd soon have to say?

After a while he sat up, grunting as the scrapes and bruises moved with him. The absence of his arm for the hundredth time scared him, but there was nothing he could do. As soon as he realized he could walk, he limped over to the edge of the building and peered over to the ground. He had to search for a moment before he saw Winry on the steps of the hospital below watching the cars roll by on the street. Edward had walked to the other unit of the hospital, where the ambulance station was between them. The building Ed stood on was tall enough that she could see him clearly. He cursed the fact silently. Another box just like the one on the roof was planted in the wall a few feet away from her. His face contorted in fear at what he was about to do. He looked to the twin phone near him and gulped. His hands shook as he reached over and dialed the large number printed on the box beside her.

The ring of the phone made her jump. She reached across the wall from where she was standing outside the Central Hospital and grabbed the jingling telephone.

"H-hello?" she asked, unsure whether the call was for her at all.

"Winry." The voice on the other end made her heart flutter.

"Hi, Ed! What's up? Is Havoc ok?"

"I-I need to tell you something. Something important." Winry's previously beating heart slowed. His voice was shaking. Edward never let his emotions get the best of him, especially around her. Something had gone very wrong, she could feel it.

"What is it?" her voice lowered, and she twirled the phone cord around her finger nervously.

"Look up."

She did as she was told. Blinking the clouded sun out of her eyes she saw a silhouette standing on the top of the hospital's roof. A red coat flapped in the churning wind, golden hair blowing about the figure's lean and muscular features. He held another phone in his hand; one Winry knew was the other end of the conversation. Edward.

"Ed what the hell are you doing up there? You're going to kill yourself. Or worse, wreck my automail." She joked, trying to calm her own nerves to no effect.

_I already have, _he thought, "I-I can't come down right now, I'm sorry. We just have to do it like this."

"Do what? Edward what are you talking about?" her twirling finger stopped.

A pause greeted her question for what seemed like eternity. Edward swallowed nervously, and said the few words that would set the whole plan all in motion, "I'm a homunculi."

Winry gasped silently. She shook her head, "No you're not, stop kidding around and get down here."

"It's true." His voice shook again, and this time Winry believed him, "I have been since the day I came to Central all those years ago. That's how I met Envy and Lust. They turned me into one of them. I've been working for them since day one, making sure all the dominos fell in the exact right order, and people were exactly where they needed to be and when." He cursed himself at lying to her, but this was the only way. Looking up at the building across the street, he could just see the outline of Gluttony, Envy, Lust, Wrath, and Pride through the windows; their shining lavender eyes fixed on his every move. If he did anything to give himself away, they would kill her. That, he was certain of. And he would never let that happen.

"Edward…" Winry breathed into the phone. She felt her eyes burn and held back the oncoming tears.

"I'm sorry." He whimpered from the roof. He could see from even up there the shining specks of water that rolled down her cheeks, creating miniscule drops of brown on the pavement.

"Ed why are you saying this?" she wiped the tears away with her free hand and looked up again, never taking her eyes off him.

"I'm a monster." He whispered.

"Edward!"

"The military was right all along. The homunculi like me are monsters. We were the ones who started the war in Ishval and we were the ones who killed countless others. Soldiers like Mustang and Hughes." He was crying as well now, but didn't reach up to wipe them away. He wouldn't give Envy the satisfaction of seeing him cry, and he wouldn't hurt Winry to let her know either. But the tears fell just the same.

"Okay Ed shut up. Just SHUT UP!" she screamed. The people going about their daily business looked at her worriedly. She was angry that they didn't seem to care what was going on, that the boy she'd loved her entire life was about to end his own. "I've known you my whole life Edward Elric. You're not a monster. You save people remember? You swore you would kill no one and you haven't! What kind of a monster is that? The only person you've ever told me you killed was Greed. He was the real monster. Not you!" she sobbed.

"You don't know about the others…" he clenched his fists as lie after lie exited his mouth. Winry was silent on the other end. He _wanted_ to kill himself, for lying to her like this. This was unlike any prank they'd played on each other as kids. Someone was going to die today, no matter what he did.

Winry's voice was soft on the ground below, "What others?"

He sniffed, "Lab 5, the war at Mount Briggs, the people in Xerxes-"

"Ed we were just little kids then…"

"It was me being born that caused them to die. My father wasn't supposed to… he wasn't supposed…" golden hair fell in front of his eyes as he lowered his head, "It's my fault…"

"Edward, stop it now."

"I killed Hughes." He said. He heard Winry's scream of protest even without the phone magnifying her voice. "It was my orders from Envy. I took Lieutenant Ross' gun and used it to kill Hughes." Every word that came out of his mouth was another curse he lashed himself with. He heard Winry's sobs through the phone and almost hung up to escape the heartbreaking sound he'd caused. She looked back up and took a step forward, taking the phone away from her ear. A yell on the other end made her stop dead.

Edward had his hand reached towards her on the roof, "Stay exactly where you are Winry. Don't move!" his voice wavered.

"Okay." The phone was back against her ear, and she clutched it with all her strength.

"Keep your eyes fixed on me, Gearhead." His lip twitched in a sad smile. "This phone call… It's my note."

"Ed."

He ignored her, "That's what they all do, isn't it? Leave a note that says their last wishes and all that crap?" He saw her nod shakily. "Well here's mine Winry Rockbell." He couldn't control himself any longer. The bloody tears came and dropped like he soon would to the ground beneath him. His shoulders shook with every lie he'd just told. He sniffled and stood straighter, still looking at the beautiful girl below, "Can you promise me something Winry?"

"Anything." She cried.

"Can you promise me that…whatever it takes, Al will get his body back?" Winry gasped on the other side. A hand came to her mouth and she sobbed.

"I'll try." She whispered.

"Okay."

Silence stretched between them for ages. He felt Envy and Lust's cold eyes on him, daring him to back out and see the consequences it would bring.

"One other thing Gearhead."

"Yeah, Alchemy Freak?"

He hesitated, wondering what words to use to explain his last thoughts. He decided that he only needed three. "I love you." He took the phone away from his ear and hung up before she could reply.

_One last step,_ he thought to himself as he leaned forward, letting gravity pull him to the waiting ground below. Winry screamed what he thought to be his name as the pavement flew towards him. _And one last breath._..

* * *

><p>"EDWARD!" she screamed when his body disappeared behind the ambulance station. Her world moved in slow motion. Other spectators rushed to where he'd landed, but Winry couldn't move. Her legs gave out from under her. She was too afraid to see what lied beyond the building between them.<p>

_He could still be alive, _her mind said incredulously. The other part of her knew though. The boy she'd grown to love her entire life was beyond the station. Alive or not, she had to see him. _One last time. _

Her legs were moving before she knew it. It started out slow, but soon she began to sprint. She slowed again before the edge of the building. Panting, she crept closer to see a crowd had formed around a spot. Looking closer, they had gathered around a body wearing a red coat, the boy with golden locks that hid his blank face. She pushed aside men and women, some holding her back, others letting her through.

"Please," she'd whimper, "He's my friend… he's my friend please." Their mumblings were lost in her ears; the only thing that mattered was getting to Ed.

Someone caught her around the waist and pulled her into them, turning her head away from Edward's mangled body. She sobbed into their black coat as the rain above finally let loose. She made the mistake of turning towards Ed just as one of the staff turned his body over, exposing his bloodied face. His blank golden eyes stared at her, his tanned skin ghostly pale. Hair was stuck to his face in various places, either by rain or sweat or blood. The stranger went down with her when her legs gave way, patting her back and smoothing her hair as she cried.

Someone brought out a gurney and lifted his limp form onto it, pulling him quickly away from where she was. The pool of blood where his head had been still glistened- a reminder to her that Edward was gone. She heard the wheels start to roll away and turned, pushing the man aside.

"NO! GIVE HIM BACK! PLEASE! JUST GIVE HIM BACK!" She got up to run to him, only to have the same man as before grab her and pull her back. She kicked and screamed, yelling Edward's name in hopes he would hear her and wake up.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed. The man turned her so she was facing him. She stopped struggling. It was Roy Mustang.

"General?" her voice was no louder than a whisper. He only opened his arms and held her, his large raincoat keeping them dry. The crowd gave their apologies but she didn't hear them. She only grabbed handfuls of Mustang's uniform and held it tightly as she sobbed. He was the closest thing to a father she had.

He didn't mind. In fact he was glad he could be of service to Edward even now. He lifted his head and squinted at the dark sky, still covering Winry from the pouring rain. He lowered his head and caught a glimpse of gold in the corner of his eye. But when he looked closer, it was only Winry's soaked hair in the reflection of Edward's blood on the pavement. He sighed and went back to soothing the distressed girl, holding his own tears back as well.

Almost an hour later when he was sure she could walk on her own, he led her to a cab and took her back to Central's Military base. News spread quickly in Amestris, and every soldier they passed saluted her with heavy hearts. Edward had made quite a reputation, being the youngest State Alchemist in a hundred years, and everyone knew Winry as his famous automail mechanic.

They passed many familiar faces in the hall, including Maria Ross. She had tears in her eyes and on her cheeks as they passed each other. Winry had never known Ed meant so much to her. Hawkeye, Fury, Falman, and Breda were all in Mustang's office when they entered. They said nothing when Roy opened the door and led Winry to his personal break room off the side.

The general walked with shoulders slumped, back to his desk. He sat and placed his head in his hands. The others assumed similar positions around him. Riza and Fury wiped their tear away silently while Falman and Breda consoled each other with hushed words.

"Sir," Riza's voice shook, "Is Fullmetal really dead? You don't think he would take his own life, especially in such a way, do you?"

"He was always one for showboating." Roy answered, head still between his hands, "As for if he is really dead, I think the autopsy will answer that."

"And what about Mrs. Rockbell, sir?"

"We'll send her home to Resembool as soon as we can. She needs to go home."

"But sir, won't that just remind her more of Edward?'

"Well DAMN IT!" Roy yelled, slamming a fist into the desk. The others jumped in surprise at such an outburst from their General, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Fullmetal was our best man. This can't have been his fault. He's too proud to do something like this. Especially not with-" he paused, lowering his voice slightly, "Especially not with Winry having to experience it in the way she did. He would never do something like that to her."

"Could it be the homunculi again, sir?" Riza asked tentatively.

Mustang raised his head, glaring at the wall. _Homunculi,_ He thought, _They would be the first to make him do something as insane as that. _"You could be right Hawkeye. But what did they use against him? What would make him willingly give up his own damn life?"

"Sir," Hawkeye's voice was stern, "I think the answer to your question is in the other room."

* * *

><p>It had been almost two weeks since Edward's funeral. He had been given one equivalent to that of a soldiers'. Al was a wreck the entire ceremony, causing everyone to join him in tears. He decided to end the search for the Philosopher's Stone, thinking it was pointless now without Ed to be by his side. He left for Resembool the next day and hadn't been heard from since.<p>

Winry still wore black to mourn him, and had been asked by the Hughes' family to join them today at the cemetery. She wore a black, knee length dress with ruffles that Gracia had given her. Her hair was tied away from her face, and she clutched a small object in the dress's pocket.

The cab pulled up to the graveyard and the trio exited, blinking the sun out of their eyes to stare at the huge mass of the Central cemetery. Alicia ran to her father's grave giggling, "Mommy come on, we have to ask daddy if he plays with Big Brother Ed!" she sat down in front of the grave and started to talk to the stone that marked Maes' spot. She'd asked Winry to help make a pair of flower crowns; one for Ed and one for Mr. Hughes, and placed the one she'd made by herself next to her father's picture. Winry choked back a laugh that she knew would turn into a sob.

They paid their respects at Maes' grave before walking the long way to Edward's new spot. The dirt over the grave was still fresh, as it had only been planted a few days before. Alicia smiled sadly and placed the ring of flowers Winry had made for him on the stone. "I hope you and daddy are happy Big Brother. I miss you." She patted the stone and leaned forward, wrapping her chubby arms around the cold rock, "Oh! And say hi to my goldfish Wiggles for me Big Brother! He loves to talk, just like you!" she stood and joined her mother and Winry at the edge of the grave.

After a few moments Gracia turned to Winry, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We'll leave you alone, if that's alright." Winry could only nod a thanks. The two disappeared off into the depths of the cemetery, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She stood in silence over his grave for countless minutes, staring at the inscription on the stone. The large oak tree next to the newly marked grave acted as a shield from the day's bright sunlight. A picture of him the day he'd been given the title of State Alchemist rested against the marker, half covered by Alicia's flower ring.

State Alchemist

Edward Elric

1899 – 1917

The Fullmetal Alchemist

It didn't seem like enough to Winry. There was so much more to be said about Edward that people should know if they hadn't known him personally. That he'd willingly sacrificed two of his own limbs to save his brother, his struggle to gain something that no human had ever accomplished; only to end the same way, and that he'd jumped in front of danger for her and others on countless occasions without a seconds' hesitation.

It then occurred to her that she should say something. Anything, just to let him know, wherever he was, that she cared enough to speak. She cleared her throat nervously, "Um, hi Ed. It's Winry. Um, you… you told me once, that hero's don't exist. And that if they did you wouldn't be one. Well, there were times that you didn't even seem human, let alone a hero. But… You were… the best friend, and the most human… human being that I've ever had the pleasure to know and no one can ever convince me that what you told me on that damn roof was the truth." She took a shaky breath, and her voice broke from the tears threatening her eyes, "You were not a monster. And I know you don't believe this but if the world needed a hero it was you."

She knelt in the soft earth and took out the photo of them as kids from her dress pocket. She brushed away one of her tears that fell on the small glass frame and placed it next to Alicia's flowers, and the State Alchemist photo. "I was so alone Ed… and I owed so much to you. And now you're gone." She whispered; her hands curled into fists. She stood, wiping the dirt off her bare knees.

Turning to leave, she thought of something. She looked back at the grave, "One more thing Alchemy Freak. If you were known for your miracles far and wide then just… one more. One more of your miracles, for me." She knelt again, not caring whether her bare knees got messy or not. She looked at her left hand, and carefully removed the thin band that had been around her ring finger. She looked at the diamond with tears in her eyes and placed it gingerly among the treasures left for him. The photos of Edward smiled at her; giving her courage as she continued, despite the falter in her voice, "Don't be…dead. Would you do that for me Ed? Just stop lying to me. Please…" she cried over his grave for a few moments, letting her tears water the new soil. She stood and gave his pictures and treasures a small smile before wiping her knees clean again and joining the Hughes'.

* * *

><p>He watched as she walked away, the pressure in his throat making it hard not to cry. He wanted her to be with him, he wanted to stop lying; to come back. But there was no backing out of what he'd done. He looked to where a grave had been made for him, just recently decorated with pictures, flowers, and a ring.<p>

He leapt from the branches of the overhanging oak tree and picked up the shining band that was the twin of his own. On the roof so many days ago, when his arm had been taken by Gluttony, he'd luckily had enough time to grab the ring after the homunculi left.

He knew the road ahead was a difficult one, made even harder without alchemy to assist him, and the absence of companions would drive him mad- he was certain. But the thought of Winry and Alphonse's smiling faces would lead him to accomplish whatever challenges were thrown at him.

_One last task_, he thought, blinking tears from his eyes, he turned. Leaving the life he'd lived so long for something even more dangerous. But it would be worth it, if it meant seeing Winry and Al again.


End file.
